


Afterword

by TwilightKnight17



Series: Hours 'Verse [16]
Category: No Fandom
Genre: because it's not really a fic, it's just the last thing, tagged as "no fandom" so it doesn't show up in the tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:41:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23913220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwilightKnight17/pseuds/TwilightKnight17
Summary: Some talk about things left unwritten, three years to the day later.
Series: Hours 'Verse [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/719673
Comments: 17
Kudos: 58





	Afterword

**Author's Note:**

> **There are Royal spoilers in this writeup.**

Here we are on the third anniversary of this series existing! While I have no plans for anything more than maybe snippets or art on tumblr in the future, there were things that I considered or talked about with people that never got used. This is even more self-indulgent than the fic, honestly. But I wanted to do the visual for the timeline because if you know anything about me, you know I love charts, and I thought it would look cool. And if I was going to do it, I figured I might as well talk about some of the unwritten stuff at the same time. And some of the stuff I’ve contemplated in a post-Royal world.

(Also I am an absolute sucker for nice, symmetrical posting dates. The series was originally finished on the anniversary last year, and then posting _Waking the Dreamer_ wrecked that. So I’m making this the formal last post so the dates match again.)

So, here are some timeline shenanigans for your consideration, color-coded for convenience!

* * *

* * *

**Main Timeline**

The only truly major events from the main timeline that haven’t been written are Akira and Goro’s wedding, which I don’t have any intentions of writing (though some snippets have been posted on my tumblr), and the fact that they eventually adopt a baby daughter. Because my friends and I had that happen in a different AU and I am so attached to the idea. So she’s one of two characters that, if I can include them in different places, I will.

Her name is Mirai and she absolutely takes after Goro.

Some other unwritten plot details were mentioned in a post [here](https://twilightknight17.tumblr.com/post/185003605164/). Just...small life things. Things that aren’t enough for a fic itself, but that happened eventually. They might get snippets one day.

* * *

**“Chosen Fate” Timeline**

The purple branch of the timeline, branching off of Christmas Eve, where Akira and Goro run, instead of facing prison and separation.

I was surprised when the one-shot was originally posted, because everyone said they thought that’s what would have happened originally. Which, yeah. They’re thieves and rebels. But they’re also exhausted at that point. And Goro needed safety and stability, not the added stress of being on the run.

If that version of the story had continued, there would have eventually been some sort of showdown with Yu and probably part of the Investigation Team. That, plus the confirmation that the Shadow Operatives would never stop chasing them if Mitsuru wanted them found, would eventually drive them to Iwatodai, because Minato promised to protect them. And they don’t necessarily trust him, but the alternatives are running indefinitely and never feeling safe, or surrendering.

And neither of them are the sort to surrender. 

(Plus, Minato lives for giving Mitsuru a headache by doing what he thinks is right.)

* * *

**“Dreamer” Timeline**

Oh man, in hindsight this was really something. This is the white branch on the timeline, the ending where Akira takes Yaldabaoth’s deal in the Velvet Room.

I had no idea what Kasumi or Maruki’s deal was at the time, but I’m amused that I chose Kasumi’s dad as the source of her rage against the Phantom Thieves, since he’s the parent that actually makes an appearance in the game. And also that I picked Mr. Uchimaru to be the teacher to disappear, because he’s wildly different during the third semester, too.

I also think it’s funny that I didn’t even try to include Maruki, since I was so disgruntled by the fact that he looks just like an OC belonging to me and my friends. But I didn’t really have a place for him, and in the end, his place was filled anyway.

_“The most dangerous thing was someone who genuinely believed that their actions were for your own good.”_

Seraph Akira basically filled Maruki’s spot by accident. Using part of Yaldabaoth’s power to warp Mementos into a utopia, keeping the peace by changing the hearts of people who step out of line to make everyone happier? A utopia covered in plants and brightness and stained-glass aesthetic, that’s still ugly and twisted underneath? A Palace ruler that _can use a persona in their own Palace?_ I was _so close_ and didn’t even realize it!

In the aftermath of this timeline, after Utopia Tokyo shatters, the Shadow Operatives ‘wake up’ to realize that it’s six months after they all assembled to deal with the blood rain, and none of them have any idea what happened. The people vanished from cognition by changes of heart return to their places in reality. Kasumi helps the Thieves defeat Yaldabaoth and then parts ways, because going from awakening to the final boss in the equivalent of about a week is a lot. Goro keeps in touch, but she’s got other things to worry about, like training for the 2020 Olympics. The Shadow Operatives eventually get in touch to learn what happened, but Goro stays with Akira, and Akira doesn’t go to jail, because Shido was dealt with months ago and that wasn’t undone.

The timelines basically converge after that, except that Goro doesn’t get adopted by the Iwatodai squad. So the Thieves are probably not invited to the wedding, and are instead reached out to for help when everything goes sideways, not involved from the get-go.

And Kasumi wins gold at the Olympics.

* * *

**“Sleeping Beauty” Timeline**

The pale blue line on the timeline. This wasn’t really something that was seriously considered, but after some spoilers got out about the dream world, it was talked about briefly.

Kasumi’s only one girl, after all. If she falls before reaching the others, the rest of the Thieves are never freed from being controlled. But in that case, Akira’s still using his energy to keep them under his sway, and Goro will never stop fighting, even though Akira’s trying to keep him in line too. So instead, he beseeches Yaldabaoth for help and puts Goro to sleep. That way he’s safe and alive and no one can hurt him. Yaldabaoth assures him that one day Goro will wake back up, and be happy in their new world. So Akira waits, content to dream of that future.

~~That future will never come.~~

* * *

**“Massacre” Timeline**

The black line on the timeline. Also not really a serious consideration, but something that was talked about for a bit. This, instead, is if Goro doesn’t break free of Akira’s control during the last fight. Instead, Kasumi and the Thieves fall before them, and since he no longer has to spend energy keeping his friends in thrall, Akira can devote one-hundred percent of his focus to having Goro at his side. Both of them watch over the new world as Yaldabaoth’s seraphim, together and happy.

~~But there’s always a hole in his heart where his friends used to be.~~

In either of these alternate bad endings, the Shadow Operatives are trapped, unknowing, as Yaldabaoth’s influence expands outward. The Velvet attendants are helpless to interfere on their own as humanity falls into contentment with their new utopia. And Minato and Ryoji, halfway between human and concept, eventually retreat to the Velvet Room, unable to live in a world where they’re constantly caught between utopia and the feeling that something isn’t right.

* * *

**Royal Hours**

I am _not_ writing another fic, but I have been considering what it would have been like to fit Maruki, Sumire, or the dream world into the existing Hours canon. Any drabbles that come from that thought will end up under their own tag [here](https://twilightknight17.tumblr.com/tagged/Royal-Hours).

**Author's Note:**

> This was mostly for me. Any further snippets/art will be on tumblr. Feel free to come yell at me or ask questions; obviously I'm still in love with my own AU here. XD
> 
> Thanks again to anyone who has read and loved this series. <3
> 
> [Main Hours Tag](https://twilightknight17.tumblr.com/tagged/Hours!verse/chrono)   
>  [Series Playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZDULOqmHn6yzd5OtULNTPwiJgZFsPd1S)   
>  [Series Tropes Page](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/HoursVerse)


End file.
